Automatic latching lever extension bolt



y '11, 1965 D. A. POWERS 3,183,027

AUTOMATIC LATCHING LEVER EXTENSION BOLT Filed Jan. 29, 1962 BY Wm M};

United States Patent 3,183,027 AUTOMATIC LATCHING LEVER EXTENSION BOLT Daniel A. Powers, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Precision Hardware Inc., Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Jan. 29,1962, Ser. No. 169,221 9 Claims. (Cl. 292-40) The present invention relates to building hardware and refers more specifically to automatic latching bolts for use with fire doors.

Hardware for fire doors must be capable of locking the doors in a closed position when the doors are subjected to particular temperatures for specific periods to receive the dilferent label classifications from insurance underwriters. In addition local fire marshals require that doors be readily opened to provide exit for persons within the building in which the door is installed.

The insurance underwriters who are primarily interested in the protection of property and the fire marshals who .are primarily interested in protecting life generally compromise and permit fire doors having a manually unlockable bolt capable of remaining locked unless manually actuated on being subjected to the required tempera. ture for the specified period. Where double leaf fire doors are provided the active leaf of the door is then provided with a panic bar or lock interfitting with a strike in the inactive leaf of the fire door.

In the past the locking means for fire doors have for the most part been lever extension flush bolts manually operable in both a locking and unlocking direction. Prior manually lock-ing bolts have been unsatisfactory in that in the excitement and rush at the time of a fire the doors may not be locked. Further, many lever extension flush bolts and similar locking devices for fire doors have been unduly complicated whereby the manufacturing expense thereof is high and the reliability often reduced.

It is-therefore one of the purposes of the present invention to provide an automatic latching bolt for use in conjunction with fire doors.

, Another object is to provide an automatic latching spring loaded bolt for use on the inactive leaf of labeled fire doors including latching means urged in a latching direction by gravity. 7

Another object is to provide an automatic latching bolt as set forth above including gravity actuated lock means at both the top and bottom of the door in which the bolt is installed which lock means are lever operated and spring loaded to return to the latched position thereof.

Another object is to provide an automatic latching bolt as set forth above wherein car type latch means are provided.

Another object is to provide an automatic latching bolt for labeled fire doors including a lock in the head of the door frame in which thefire door is installed, a strike in the sill of the door frame, and spring loaded actuating means carried by the inactive leaf of the fire door, including a strike adjacent the lock in the head of the door frame and a lock adapted to be received in the strike in the sill of the door frame, said locks both being gravity urged toward a locked position.

Another object is to provide an automatic latching bolt for fire doors which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture and efficient in use.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a pair of fire doors installed in a building opening, including an in- 3,i83,fi27 Patented May 11, less active and an active leaf and an automatic latching bolt according to the invention mounted on the inactive leaf of the fire door.

'FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the inactive leaf of the fire door shown in FIGURE 1 partly in section and particularly illustrating the details of the automatic latching bolt of the invention.

FIGURE 3 is a section of the bolt illustrated in FIG- URE 2 taken on the line 3-3 in FIGURE 2 and including a bottom lock and strike operated by a single actuating means. 7

FIGURE 4 is a partial elevation of a modified lock construction including a car type latch which may be used with the bolts ilustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3.

With particular reference to the figures a specific embodiment of the present invention will now be disclosed.

As shown in FIGURE 1 a fire doorconstruction includes an inactive door leaf it) held rigidly in place in an opening l2 in a building structure 14 by means of an automatic latching bolt 16 and an active door leaf 18. In accordance with the invention as illustrated in FIG- URE 3 the bolt it comprises the upper lock 20, a lower lock 22, and spring loaded actuating means 24 therebetween. In operation, the bolt 16 is gravity urged in a latched direction whereby extremely high fire ratings are possible.

More specifically, the'fire door installation illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 3 comprises a metal frame '26 including a head member 28, jamb members 30 and a sill member 32. The inactive fire door leaf it is secured to the jamb 3b of the metal frame 26 by hinges 34 for, outward swinging in the direction of arrow 36 after.

manual unlatching of the bolt 16. The active leaf 18 of thefire door is similarly secured to an opposite jamb.

3t) of the frame 26 by means of hinges 34 for outward swinging in the direction of the arrow 38 on actuation of the panic bar 44! which isoperable to withdraw the lockn=i2 from a strike (not shown) in the edge of the inactive fire door leaf 10.

The upper lock 2% of the bolt 16 comprises the rectangular sleeve 48 fixedly positioned within the head 28 of the frame 26 and the latch Sil reciprocal within the sleeve 48. The latch St} is guided for vertical movement in-the sleeve 48 by means of the slot 52 in the sleeve 48 and the pin 54 secured to the latch 50. As shown best in FIGURE 2 the latch '50 is in a latched position when the pin 54. is in the bottom of the slot 52, and the pin 54 is auto-- matically positioned in the bottom of the slot 52 by gravity on Withdrawing of the actuating rod head 62 from the strike 58 mounted in the inactive fire door leaf it) as shown. The spring 59 is rather weak and is provided between latch 50 and sleeve 48 to urge the latch out of the sleeve to prevent binding or sticking of the latch.

The actuating means 24 of the automatic latching bolt 16 of the invention, as shown in FIGURE 3, is mortised in the inactive fire door leaf l0. Actuating means 24 comprises the actuating rod on having the head as thereon which reciprocates in the strike 58 secured to the upper edge of the door leaf 10 by convenient means, such as screws 64. The actuating rod 60 is rigidly secured to the actuating body member 66. The actuating body nicmbero is shaped as shown best in FIGURE 3 and is slidable along the bracket 63 supported by the face plate 7b. The actuating lever 72 is pivotally mounted on tabs 74 on bracket 68 for rotation in opposition to the resilient spring '76 which contacts abutment 77 on bracket 68 at one end and body member 66 at the other end.

As shown best in FIGURE 3, if a bottom lock isdesired as well as a top lock, the actuating rod 78 may be rigidly secured to the body member 66 as shown and the latch 7? secured to the other end of the actuating rod 3 78. A bottom strike 80 is provided in the sill 32 of the door frame 26 to receive the latch 79 with the bolt 16 in a locked position. It will be noted that the bottom latch 79 is also therefore gravity urged in the locked direction.

While FIGURE 3 wherein both a top and bottom lock it) and 22 actuated by a single actuating means 24 has been considered in detail it will be understood that either the top or bottom lock may be used separately with actuating means 24 as shown in FIGURE 2. Additionally both top and bottom locks 20 and 22 may be used with separate actuating means 24 if desired. The operation of the actuating means 24 is the same in any case.

In operation it will be assumed that the inactive leaf 10 of the fire door is in a closed position and the actuating lever 72 of bolt 16 thereof is as shown in FIGURE 3. At this time it will be noted that the latches 50 and 79 are in a locking position. Should a fire develop with the bolt 16 in this position and the spring 76 become weak to the point where it would no longer maintain the latches 50 and 79 in a latched position if it were required to do so, the latches t) and 22 will remain in the latched position in accordance with the invention, since both of the latches are gravity urged in the latched position.

When it is desired to open the inactive leaf of the fire door, the lever 72 is swung outwardly and upwardly about the pin 82 extending between the tabs 74 of the bracket 68 to cause the curved edge 73 thereof to cam the body member 66 in a vertically upward direction, whereby the upper actuating rod 60 causes the head 62 thereof to push the latch 50 vertically upwardly in the sleeve 48 to unlock the top of the door leaf 10. At the same time, if the bottom lock 22 is provided, the actuating rod 78 is moved in a vertically upward direction to withdraw the latch 79 from the strike 80 to permit the inactive leaf of the fire door to be swung in the direction 36 on the hinge 34.

The latches will be moved from a locked position to an unlocked position on ninety degree pivoting of the actuating lever 72. The lever 72 on being released will automatically return to the locked position shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 under the bias of spring 76.

As shown in FIGURE 4, a modified latch 83 of the car type may be provided in the head 28 of the frame 26 if desired. The latch 83 is pivoted on the pin 84 which is mounted on the bracket 86 secured to the frame 26. The spring 88 is provided to urge the latch 83 into a locked position although the latch 83 is also urged in a latch position by gravity. Pin 99 is provided to prevent passing of the latch 33 out of the head 28 of the frame 26 as will be understood by those in the art. The operation of the modified latch of FIGURE 4 is entirely similar to that of latch 50 previously described and will not be further discussed.

Thus in accordance with the invention there is provided a simple automatic latching bolt which is gravity urged toward a locked position and therefore not adversely effected by heat in the manner of the usual spring biased bolts. Weakening of the springs 59 and 76 does not permit gravity to tend to move the latches 50 and 79 toward an unlocked position. Higher fire ratings may therefore be obtained with the fire door structure of the invention than with fire doors wherein gravity acts to unlock the latches thereof.

From the embodiment of the invention disclosed and the modifications thereof indicated a plurality of other modifications will readily suggest themselves to those concerned with building hardware. It is the intention to include all such modifications within the scope of the present invention.

The drawings and the foregoing specification constitute a description of the improved automatic latching bolt in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable 4. any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An automatic latching bolt for use with doors which include a frame having a head and sill and also include an inactive door leaf, comprising actuating means including a face plate having an opening therethrough secured to the inactive door leaf, a bracket fixedly secured .to the face plate having an opening therethrough aligned with the opening in the face plate, an actuating lever pivoted to the bracket and extending through the aligned openings in the face plate and bracket, a body member slidably engaged with said bracket and including a portion engaged with said lever for movement relative to the bracket in response to pivoting of the lever and in opposition to gravity and rod means secured to said body member, and lock and strike mechanism gravity urged into closed relation operable between said actuating means and frame for opening on pivoting of said lever in one direction.

2. An automatic latching bolt for use with fire doors and the like which include a frame having a head and sill and also include an inactive door leaf, comprising actuating means including a face plate having an opening therethrough secured to the inactive door leaf, a bracket fixedly secured to the face plate having an opening therethrough aligned with the opening in the face plate, an actuating lever pivoted to the bracket and extending through the aligned openings in the face plate and bracket including a first portion extending toward said face plate and bracket and a second portion extending parallel thereto connected by an arcuate transitional portion, a body member slidably engaged with said bracket and including a portion engaged with the arcuate portion of said lever for movement relative to the bracket in response to pivoting of the lever and in opposition to gravity and rod means secured to said body member, and lock and strike mechanism gravity urged into closed relation operable between said actuating means and frame for opening on pivoting of said lever in one direction.

3. Structure as set forth in claim 2 and further including resilient means operable between the bracket and body member urging the body member in a direction opposite the direction of movement thereof on pivoting of said lever in one direction.

4. An automatic latching bolt for use with fire doors and the like which fire doors include a frame having a head and sill and also including an inactive door leaf, comprising a lock secured to the head of the frame comprising a sleeve recessed in the frame, a latch slidably received for vertical movement in the sleeve, pin and slot means operable between the sleeve and latch to prevent passing of the latch out of the sleeve, resilient means operable between the sleeve and latch for urging the latch out of the sleeve, a strike recessed in the top of the inactive leaf of the door for receiving said latch, a second strike recessed in the sill of the door for receiving a second latch, a second latch, abutment means engageable with the first latch for moving the first latch out of the first strike, common actuating means for said second latch and abutment means comprising a face plate secured to the inactive leaf of the door having an opening therethrough, a bracket secured to the face plate including tabs thereon and an opening therethrough aligned with the opening in said face plate, a lever having one portion extending perpendicular to said face plate and another portion extending parallel thereto with an arcuate transitional portion therebetween pivotally mounted at the perpendicularly extending end to the tabs on the bracket for pivotal movement into a position Where said one portion is parallel to said face plate and said another portion is perpendicular thereto, a body member having an opening therein through which said lever extends positioned between the tabs on said bracket for reciprocal motion therebetween on pivotal movement of said lever between said positions having a portion engaged with the arcuate portion of said lever,

resilient means operable between the bracket and body member for urging the body member in a downward position and a rod secured to the bottom of the body member to which said second latch is rigidly secured and a rod secured to the top of said body member to which said abutment is rigidly secured.

5. Structure as set forth in claim 4 and further including resilient means operable between said body member and bracket for urging said body member in a direction to extend said second latch into said second strike and to withdraw said abutment from engagement with the firstmentioned latch.

6. Actuating means for an automatic latching bolt for use with doors which include a frame having a head and sill and also include an inactive door leaf, which automatic latching bolt includes lock and strike mechanism gravity urged into closed relation and positioned between the actuating means and frame, and actuating means comprising a substantially flat face plate having an opening therethrough adapted to mount flush with the end surface of the inactive door leaf over a recess therein, a bracket fixedly secured to the face plate on the inner surface thereof having an opening therethrough aligned with the opening in the face plate, an actuating lever extending through the aligned openings in the face plate and bracket, means pivotally mounting the lever on the bracket and a body member slidably engaged with said bracket and including a portion extending over said aligned openings engaged with said lever for movement of the body member relative to the bracket in opposition to gravity in response to pivoting of the lever and rod means secured to said body member and to said lock and strike mechanism for actuation thereof.

7. Structure as set forth in claim 6 wherein the bracket is provided with tabs thereon extending away from the face plate providing means for guiding the body member in its movement relative to the bracket and providing a mounting for said lever and wherein the actuating lever includes a first portion extending toward said face plate and bracket, and a second portion extending parallel thereto and substantially flush with the outer surface of the face plate connected by an arcuate transitional portion extending through said opening and engaged with said body member for movement thereof on pivoting the lever.

8. Structure as set forth in claim 7 wherein the bracket further includes an abutment thereon extending away from the face plate and the body member includes an abutment thereon extending toward said face plate in alignment with and below the abutment on the bracket and a biasing spring positioned between said abutments.

9. Actuating means for an automatic latching bolt comprising a substantially fiat face plate having an elongated slot therethrough, a bracket including a substantially fiat portion positioned in surface-to-surface engagement with the face plate having an elongated slot therethrough aligned with the slot in the face plate, a pair of tabs on said bracket extending from the opposite sides of the bracket away from the face plate and longitudinally aligned thereon, an abutment on the bracket extending away from said face plate positioned longitudinally of the bracket below the tabs, at body member positioned between the tabs for sliding movement longitudinally of said bracket having an opening therethrough aligned with the slots in the face plate and bracket, a portion of said body member at the top of the opening therethrough extending across the slots in the face plate and bracket, al ever including a horizontally extending portion pivoted to the tabs on the side of the body member remote from said face plate, an arcuate portion extending through said opening and slots engaged with said portion of the body member and a vertically extending portion extending downwardly substantially flush with the outer surface of the face plate whereby the body member is cammed upwardly on the arcuate portion of the lever on pivoting of the lever about the tabs, an abutment on said body member positioned below and in vertical alignment with the abutment on said bracket, spring means operable between said abutments to urge the body member in a downward direction and rod means secured to the body member for actuating of lock and strike mechanism on pivoting of said lever.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 521,366 6/94 Davis 292-254 X 1,844,767 2/32 Kelly 29292 2,115,422 4/38 Kahle.

2, 304,941 12/42 Mantz 292-254 2,719,048 9/55 Hayes 29292 DONLEY I. STOCKING, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN AUTOMATIC LATCHING BOLT FOR USE WITH DOORS WHICH INCLUDE A FRAME HAVING A HEAD AND SILL AND ALSO INCLUDE AN INACTIVE DOOR LEAF, COMPRISING ACTUATING MEANS INCLUDING A FACE PLATE HAVING AN OPENING THERETHROUGH SECURED TO THE INACTIVE DOOR LEAF, A BRACKET FIXEDLY SECURED TO THE FACE PLATE HAVING AN OPENING THERETHROUGH ALIGNED WITH THE OPENING IN THE FACE PLATE, AN ACTUATING LEVER PIVOTED TO THE BRACKET AND EXTENDING THROUGH THE ALIGNED OPENINGS IN THE FACE PLATE AND BRACKET, A BODY MEMBER SLIDABLY ENGAGED WITH SAID BRACKET AND INCLUDING A PORTION ENGAGED WITH SAID LEVER FOR MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO THE BRACKET IN RESPONSE TO PIVOTING OF THE LEVER AND IN OPPOSITION TO GRAVITY AND ROD MEANS SECURED TO SAID BODY MEMBER, AND LOCK AND STRIKE MECHANISM GRAVITY URGED INTO CLOSED RELATION OPERABLE BETWEEN SAID ACTUATING MEANS AND FRAME FOR OPENING ON PIVOTING OF SAID LEVER IN ONE DIRECTION. 